The concept of placing a cover enclosure over a rotational doorknob, to prevent rotation of the doorknob, and concurrent dislodging of the associated locking bolt, and, finally, opening of an associated door, is, generally known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,221, to Atchisson, discloses a retrofit doorknob lock apparatus, in which a shroud is placed over the doorknob and the doorknob shaft and a clevis fits through slots in the shroud to retain the shroud in place. The clevis is locked in place with a separate exterior lock, on the same side of the door. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,608, to Young, discloses an auxiliary door lock including a doorknob cover, a resilient band along the inner wall surface of the cover, and a locking means, again on the same side of the door, utilizing a separate, exterior lock. The door lock of U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,867, to Leneave, again discloses a cover, comprised of a tubular casing, which fits over a doorknob, on one side of the door, with a locking lever, utilizing a separate lock, again, on the same side of the door. U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,256, to Crosby, for a doorknob security device, also utilizes a cover mechanism, kept in place by a separate lock, on the same side of the door. The lockable doorknob enclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,235, to Aucoin, again deals with an enclosure which fits over a doorknob to prevent rotation of the knob, and which has an incorporated locking mechanism, requiring a separate key, again, on the same side of the door as the mechanism.
As is indicated from review of the referenced prior art, all of the mechanisms shown for disabling a doorknob require an additional locking mechanism, either with an incorporated lock and key, or by requiring a separate, external lock, which would require either a combination or key to open. None of the devices shown in the prior art allow the disabling function to be completed by simply placing the door ajar, fitting the device into place, and closing the door, thereafter allowing entry only by activation of the doorknob from the opposite side. Correspondingly, the devices of the prior art do not permit removal of the device, once locked in place, simply by opening the associated door from the opposite side and removing the device by simple reverse sequence of its installation, without the need to separately unlock a separate attached security device.
Accordingly, a need exists for a doorknob disabling device, of a two piece construction, which may be put in place in a simple sequence, by placing the associated door ajar, placing a cover over the doorknob and mating a retaining mechanism with the doorknob cover, by movement of the retaining mechanism toward the cover, and closing of the door, so that the cover and retaining mechanism may not be disassociated while the door is closed, because of the position of the associated door jam, and its contact with the retaining mechanism, and the associated doorknob and its contact with the cover.
A need for such a device is particulary apparent in industries such as the mobile home sales industry, to prevent prospective customers from unnecessarily opening, and leaving unlocked, different access doors, during the course of their investigation of the product.
Likewise, the prior art does not provide a doorknob disabling device which may be placed over a knob on a associated door, on the side for gaining entry, and closed by a person temporarily occupying the interior space to which the door provides access, when there is a need for personal security in such space.
The present invention is directed toward a device with a minimum of components and moving parts, which does not require a separate locking mechanism, and addresses the shortcomings of the prior art.
The present invention is directed to a locking device, generally, and, in particular, to a doorknob disabling device which is utilized with a standard doorknob, which may or may not have a key on the knob on the side of the door from which access may still be gained, and, in some cases, having a manual locking or unlocking device on the portion of the doorknob on the interior or opposing side of the door. The device may, however, be utilized on any doorknob, even one without locks on either side, to disable the doorknob from the side of the door on which the device is affixed, when the door is closed within its associated doorjamb.
The device is designed, primarily, to be utilized to cover the knob on the side of the door which does not require a key, and from which the door may be manually locked or unlocked, so that, when the door is closed, the door may only be unlocked, as a prelude to opening, by utilizing the key from the exterior side of the door.
The device may be constructed of an rigid, non-permeable material. It is ideally constructed of metal. Plastic, acrylic or other material may be utilized. The device consists of a hollow cylinder, cup, or other enclosure having an open end, in which to accept a doorknob, and being otherwise, externally closed. This member is constructed, generally, so that it has the appearance of a cylinder, glass, or cup, but, in theory, may be of any shape, so long as there is a unitary, rigid exterior surface, completely enclosing the doorknob, when the doorknob is inserted or covered through the open end. The enclosure may be of a variation of sizes, and is generally configured to fit as snugly as desired over a doorknob, so that the open end rests against the planar surface of the door upon which the knob is attached. The cylinder may be long enough to accommodate varying doorknobs while maintaining contact with the door. While the interior portion of the closed end of the covering enclosure may touch the outer surface of the doorknob when the open end of the enclosure is in contact with the planar surface of the door, it is not necessary that it do so, and the device works equally well when the interior of the enclosure is actually contacting the knob, or where there is a space between the exterior knob surface and interior surface of the enclosure.
The device may constructed in different sizes, to accommodate different diameters of doorknobs, but the device will operate as intended, so long as the interior portion of the enclosure is of greater diameter than the diameter of the doorknob. If desired, rings or spacers may be placed around the interior of enclosure to make the interior diameter of the enclosure more closely conform to the outer diameter of the knob, if a close fit is particularly desired. As stated, it is not necessary for this fit to be close in any particular relative dimension, other than that the space between the exterior circumference of the knob and the interior surface of the enclosure must be less than the distance of the insertion of the mating extension from the enclosure into the female mating receptacle on the retention device, so that sideways movement of the enclosure will be impeded by the knob, prior the point where the mating relationship may be disengaged.
The enclosure has an opening, which is basically formed by a truncated section, so that the opening has an edge surface, substantially in a singular plane, which corresponds with and contacts the planer surface of the associated door. Either in the same plane, or in a plane parallel thereto, the enclosure member has a mating extension which extends outward toward the outer edge of the door, when the enclosure is in place over the doorknob.
A second detachable retaining member is conformed to fit over the width of the door edge approximate to the where the doorknob and lock assembly to be disabled is located. The retaining member is, preferably, a flat piece, conformed by bending to contact, by corresponding planar surfaces, the side of the door on which the knob to be disabled is located, the opposing side of the door, and the exterior edge of the door extending between them. The retaining member is fitted with a receptacle member, to accept and rigidly contain the extension from the enclosure, in a male-female relationship, when the enclosure is placed over the doorknob, and the retaining member is then placed over the edge of the door as described. The portion of the retaining member which forms the female receptacle portion of the mating relationship may be a complete enclosure, or may be partially cut away leaving overlapping flanges at the edges to hold extension firmly in place. The portion of the retaining member which contacts the planar edge of the door also is conformed to provide an opening sufficient for the locking bolt of the doorknob locking assembly to pass through.
The device is put in place when the associated door is ajar. Accordingly, when the associated door is closed, within its associated doorjamb, the enclosure may not be removed from the doorknob, because disassociating motion along the plane of the door is prevented by contact between the interior of the enclosure and the doorknob assembly and contact by the exterior portion of the retention member, and the associated doorjamb. Further, the enclosure may not be moved away from contact with the door, around the doorknob, because of the portion of the retaining member which is bent around the edge of the door, and which contacts the opposite surface of the door, and because of the dual retaining function provided when the locking doorknob assembly bolt passes through the opening in the retention member and locks into the associated receptacle in the doorjamb.
In another embodiment of the invention, the enclosure member alternatively is provided with two parallel pairs of apertures, with each pair aligned linearly parallel to the surface of the associated door and perpendicular to the plane of the exterior edge of the door, with a corresponding parallel pair of rods mounted on the retention member and fitting within and through the parallel pairs of apertures in male-female relationship.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of this invention will be set forth and will become apparent in the detailed description which follows.